May 3, 2006 – The V.I. Code as well as other laws and information are now available online at no charge. Simply visit www.loc.gov/law/guide/us-vi.html.
"Most people aren't aware of it," Colette Monroe, chief researcher in Sen. Louis P. Hill's office, said Wednesday.
Hill sent out a press release Wednesday to alert residents to the availability.
Monroe said users previously had to pay about $750 a year to access the extensive compendium of V.I. laws, 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals rulings, U.S. District Court opinions and rulings, the Revised Organic Act, and more.
The Web site is chock full of useful and interesting links, although some, like www.gov.vi don't appear to work.
Monroe said she wasn't sure why it's now free but assumes it had something to do with a change in management at LexisNexis, which publishes the Web site.
Monroe said that the Web site is only updated periodically. Therefore, if people want to look at new laws passed in the Virgin Islands, they should visit any senator's office. She said they can view the supplements issued regularly by LexisNexis via the Legislature's legal counsel's office Web access.
Hill said that a fair and democratic government depends on the citizens being informed and active participants.
"With free and easy access to our laws, everyone can see how changes made through the legislative process will affect them, and in turn, can lobby their governor and senators to support their positions," Hill said in a news release.
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